Low-water alarm



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' N. J. TILGHMAN.

LOW WATER ALARM.

N0. 459,919. Patented Sept. 22, 1891.

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LOW/WATER ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,919, dated septemter'eaisei.

Application sied Mey 21, `1891. sam no. 393.570. (No model.;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, NOAH J. TILGHMAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Palatka, in the county of .Putnam and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ilow-YVater Alarms for Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved lowwater alarm forsteam-boilers; and the object in view is to combine with a suitable alarm a float which can be readily inserted through the man-hole of the boiler and at the same time will have suiticient size and weight to properly operate the Whistle-valve- To this end the invention consists in thel novel features of construction and combihaving at its lower end inside the boiler a valve-scat a, and at its upperV end an enlarged part with an annular passage b leading` from the bore of the bushing out of the top ot' the saine. In the top of this bushing is screweda hollow post c, the upper end of which is threaded and has screwed upon it a whistle-bell d, the lower circular edge. of which is over the annular passage b in the bushing. It will be observed that the whistle is in this'wayprovided. A lock-nut c is screwed on the hollow post c above the whistlebell to secure the latter iixedly' in position. A stem f extends through the bushing B and hollow post c, and has upon its lower end a i valve a to close the lower end of the'bushing.

The stem projectsabove the hollow post c, and a spiral spring g is placed upon it. This spring bears against a shoulder h on the end ot' the valve-stem and serves to keep the valve up to its seat when there is no steam-*pressure in the boiler to act upon said valve. The

VVstem passeslooselythrough the bushing B,

whereby steam may pass around it through vthe bushing to the whistle.

The float comprises a number otsections O, each of which is small enough tobe readily inserted through the man-hole of the boiler. These sections, after being introduced severally into the boiler, are fitted togetheraround a circular center piece L'. The sections ot the iioat are secured together by straps j, connecting their adjacentedges, and they are connected to the center piece-'i by rods 7s., which pass under straps or loops l, secured on the upper side ot the float-sections an'd screw into thesaid center piece, as shown. A vertical supportingfrod misscrewed into`thecenter piece and .has at its upper end an eye n, which fits over a hook In on the lower end Aot the valve-stem j' below the valve.

''iiiie tjtesccticns-et'- the tioatot a conm@- sit-ion ot lead and asbestus (designated in the drawings by the letter o) and cover this composition wi'th a copper jaoketj. The purpose of this construction is to provide a lioatf which will not be affected by the heat of steam` and water in the boiler -and' which will have sufficient weight to overcome the spring y, and openl the valve fr' and at the same time be light enough to iioat. -It willbe obvious that by properly' proportioning the lead and asbestus, one being heavy and the other light,-

the desired weight can be arrived at. The oat is intended to have about four-fifths the weight of its bulk in Water. 'lhe purpose of the copper jacket q is to prevent water getting to the asbestus and soakingthe same, which would obviously increase the weight of the ioat.

The oat, as shown in of four rectangular sections,which fit together around'the center piece i and form a square tioat.

In Figsf and modified form ot tioat is shown,ivliich comprisesa number ot tubular sections. The'copper jackets are in thetorm` Figs. land 2, is made A of pipes r, and the lead and asbestus compo-` sition` iills them.. These tubular sections are' arranged parallel to each other andare connected by rodss, extending through loops :or straps t, secured to the pipes. The central rods screw into the center piece asin the other construction.

' The operation,ofr the device is as follows: The floatris so hung that when the water is 4at the proper height in the boiler the valve a.

is closed. The spring g serves to keep it tight to its seat in the absence of steam-pressure. When the Water falls to the low-water level, the float drops and by itsfweight pulls openthe valve a," against the tension of the spring g. Steam instantly rushes thro ugh the bushing B to the `whistle and, an alarm is sounded, giving notice of the fact that the water is low in the boiler.

' It will be seen that by my peculiar construction of float in separable-sections I am enabled to introduce it through the man-hole 1 of the boiler` and yet, whent-he sections are fitted together, have a fioat of suicient size 17o operate the Whistle-valve effectively. By

2. A float for low-water alarms, consisting of a center piece,rods secured to and projecting radially from the center piece, a sei-les oi:

Sections, straps for securing' thesectons to the rods and to each other, and a verticalrod projecting upward from the center piece.

3. A float for low-water alarms, consist-ing of a center piece, rods projecting radially therefrom, a series of rectangular sections below the rods, straps for securing the section s to the rods'and to each other, and a supporting'- rod.

In testimony whereof I aliix mysignaturc in the presence of two witnesses.

NOAH J. 'llLGllll/IAN. Witnesses:

, COOK CARLETON,

JosEPH'I-l. SBAFFORD. 

